Recommoning Water: Emerging water governance practices as a response to the austerity crisis

“Recommoning Water” explores the resurgence of water commoning practices across Southern European cities in response to the austerity crisis of the past decade. This research investigates how austerity not only intensified calls for remunicipalisation—the transition of water services from private or semi-private management back to full public control—but also fostered the development of innovative governance paradigms, new actors, and institutions that align with commons-oriented approaches. In resistance to the prevailing privatisation trends, at least 267 cases of water remunicipalisation have been documented in 37 countries in the last 15 years, including in major European cities like Paris, Naples, Berlin and Terrassa. Austerity measures, imposed to address economic instability, unexpectedly catalysed local alliances and transnational collaborations, drawing new activists into the water struggle, where ‘non-militant’ actors such as mothers, grandmothers and pensioners have played significant roles in establishing novel institutional frameworks. Utilising an urban political ecology perspective, this dissertation interweaves urban theory with water governance theory, bridging the literature on water commons and remunicipalisation. The central inquiry focuses on the conditions under which remunicipalisation can facilitate commoning practices and lead to innovative water governance paradigms. Through in-depth case studies of water recommoning efforts in two cities: Terrassa, Spain, and Naples, Italy, I examine what enabled these radical outcomes where similar initiatives failed elsewhere. In analysing the complex dynamics of recommoning water, the findings underscore the potential and limitations of institutionalising water commoning under a public regime. They offer crucial insights for academics, activists, and policymakers, on the importance of local government cooperation in the success of commons-based governance while cautining against the risks of co-optation and disciplining. I further employ a feminist political ecology lens to explore the gendered dimensions of commoning struggles, revealing how such efforts are often sustained by women, through embodied knowledges, experiences, and practices. This dissertation not only introduces a new conceptual framework that integrates academic analysis with activist praxis, but also shares practical findings with movement actors to support ongoing policy negotiations and grassroots initiatives. The research has been widely disseminated through academic publications and multimedia platforms, shaping broader discussions on the future of water governance.